Filling In The Blanks
by thevampiregirl14
Summary: Edward Cullen, father of twin teenage girls. Bella Swan, divorced single mother of three. They are both too stubborn to admit that they can't do it alone. Maybe a little bit of love will help them out? All Human. Canon. Full Summary Inside.
1. Ciao, Bella

**Filling in the Blanks**

Summary: Edward Cullen, father of twin rebellious teenage girls. Bella Swan, divorced single mother of three. They are both too stubborn to admit that they can't do it alone. Maybe a little bit of love will help them out? Of course, there's always the chance that it screw everything up even more. Can they work through the fears of their children, and each other? What about their own? Can they help each other fill in the blanks, and learn to let go and live a life of friends, family and love?

---

**EdwardPOV**

"Jes! Lexy! Time for school!" I yelled, grabbing my morning coffee. Simple and black, just the way I like it.

"Give me a sec!" Lexa called, and I heard some running around and opening and closing of drawers.

Before you give me crap for names like Lexa and Jessa, neither were my idea. My ex-girlfriend, Tanya insisted on naming them. I had absolutely no choice in the matter. As you may have figured out, Tanya isn't around anymore. She wanted to marry me for my money. She purposely stopped using birth control so she could have my child, just to make marriage more likely. Obviously, her plan backfired. She had our daughters, and when they were born, she took every excuse she could to not be around. She didn't want anything to do with them. As always, one thing led to another. And multiple fights later, she was out of my house and on her way, never taking one look back.

Lexa was more of a daddy's girl. She didn't go out of her way to get in trouble, although, as a teenager, it's impossible to completely avoid it. All in all, she was a pretty good kid. A bit quieter than her sister, but if she believed in something, she would fight for it until she won. She was just as stubborn as me.

Jessa, on the other hand, was more outspoken. She constantly tested my limits, and it seemed that she tried to get herself into bad situations. It's been quite a while since I've gotten her to really talk to me, and open up. I'm not sure why it is that she doesn't trust me, but it's something I've been trying to work on. So far, it's been proving to be a lost cause.

They were fraternal twins. Although, they did look identical. They both had my bronze colored hair, but with natural red highlights, and depending on the day, it could look a lot brighter than my own. Both have wavy hair, a mix between my own almost-straight, and their mom's curly. Jessa took the liberty of straightening hers perfectly every morning, while Lexa opted for a more natural look most of the time.

The only differences you would notice if they were standing side-by-side, is that Jessa is almost an inch taller than Lexa, and that they have different colored eyes. Jessa's are very blue, with the occasional flicker of green, and Jessa's are a green emerald color, no blue in sight. Exactly like my own. They both have many facial features of their mother's, however.

They are both barely fourteen years old. Their birthdays are July 28th, and July 29th. Lexa was born at 11:56pm on the 28th, and Jessa was born at 12:11am on the 29th. Most people are confused at first when we tell them that they were born on separate days, but the girl's both appreciate it. It gives them both a separate day to call their own.

"Girls! It's time to go! You don't want to be late on your first day of high school!" I called up the stairs, getting some ones out of my wallet for lunch money.

I heard footsteps pounding down the stairs, and looked up to see the girls coming downstairs together. On time, for the first time since elementary school.

I smiled and handed them lunch money, before inspecting their outfits. Jessa had a thing for dressing in less than she should.

Lexa was wearing a black tank top, and gray skinny jeans. Along with bright green Vans. I never understood why teenagers loved to wear bright, blinding colors, but I guess it doesn't matter much, as long as she looks decent.

Jessa had on a pink abercrombie shirt, and a jean skirt. I also don't understand what is so cool about ripped and faded clothing, but as I've been told many times 'You're so out of it, dad'. The skirt wasn't too short, so I decided to let it go.

"Alright, you both look decent. You've passed the 'dad inspection', so go eat breakfast real quick, and we'll get going," I said, handing them three dollars each. Lexy threw hers in her backpack and spread some peanut butter on her toast before taking a bite out of it. Jes took the peanut butter and smothered it on an apple, and the girls ate quickly in an easy silence.

"Dad, you should really learn how to cook. Toast and peanut butter isn't much of a meal," Lexy said, putting her plate in the dish washer.

"I don't think that's going to happen. I almost burned the kitchen down once, ask aunt Alice," I took one more drink of my coffee, "Let's get going."

The girls grabbed their backpacks, and went out to the car.

"I'm meeting uncle Emmett for lunch late this afternoon, so aunt Rose might pick you girls up today. Her car is hard to miss, so just take a quick look for it."

I heard a chorused "Kay", and rolled my eyes at the way they seem to respond to everything lately.

'I'm working late tonight.'

'Kay'

'My phone is dead. Don't try to call my cell.'

'Kay.'

'There's a giant spider currently residing in the bathroom sink.'

'Kay.'

Well, maybe not the last one. The last time we found a spider, Jessa screamed bloody murder and jumped up, standing on the arm of the couch, before losing her balance. We all had a good laugh at that one. It really makes me miss our family before the girls started 8th grade, and suddenly decided they were independent teenagers.

I pulled up in front of their school, and I saw both girls looking up at the vast array of buildings in front of us.

"Do you think you'll have fun in high school?" I asked them.

"Yeah. Aunt Rose said it was the best time of her life." Jes said, putting her iPod in her backpack.

Oh boy. I've heard many stories about Rose in high school, and I would prefer if my kids didn't follow in her footsteps. I'm going to have to talk to her later.

They both started to get out of the car, and I autonomously called out, "Have a good day at school."

I heard a mumbled, "Yeah," and "Sure."

"I love you," I said, hoping to get a better response.

This time I got a "Same," and a "Kay, bye."

I rolled my eyes, and pulled out and away from the school, heading towards work.

---

I clocked out at 1:30pm, and walked to the restaurant a few buildings away from the hospital. I was immediately greeted by my beast of a brother.

"Hey, Eddie!" he called, pulling me in a 'man hug' as he called it.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," I chastised, remembering all the bad memories of that childhood nickname.

We were quickly seated, by an eager looking waitress. I could feel her eyes burning through the back of my head after she walked away, taking her time when she gave us our menus.

"She was so checking you out, man," Emmett said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, before focusing my attention on the menu.

"So, I got a new job," Emmett said. I looked up to see him beaming. Emmett had been through dozens of jobs in the past year, never finding one to settle on. Some were simply outrageous. The Mr. Pickle's pickle costume, the bedroom set salesman at Kohl's, a courtesy clerk at Safeway. Hell, he even worked at McDonald's for a small period of time.

"What is it this time? A pet store? A magazine stand? Oh! A hot dog vendor?" I asked, sarcastically.

"No, actually. I'm the new football coach. At Samertino!" he exclaimed.

Samertino High was where Lexy and Jess attended. I remember reading in the paper that their football team won the championships last year, but the coach had to leave for some reason.

"Really?" I asked, not sure if he was joking with me or not.

"Yup. How cool is that!? I might see the girls more often!" he said, literally bouncing in his seat. I knew that Rosalie couldn't have children, so he loved my girls immensely.

"Em, I hate to bring your mood down, but I highly doubt my girl's would want to play football."

"Powderpuff, my friend. Everyone does powderpuff," he said in a 'duh' tone.

I cringed at the mention of powderpuff. Emmett had dragged me and our other friends into participating. Emmett, of course, found the drag makeup hilarious. I, however, felt kind of embarrassed cheerleading in front of the whole student body, and then some.

"So..." Emmett started, in his 'I want to set you up with this girl I met that you most likely don't have anything in common with, but you need to get laid' voice.

"Absolutely not, Emmett." I rejected immediately.

"But Rose even thinks it's a good idea this time. It's one of her best friends. She's more of your type. More 'mature' I guess you could say. Just give it a shot." he pleaded.

"Emmett," I sighed.

"Edward, I promise you won't regret this one. You guys are so much alike, you will at least be good friends. I promise, if this one completely tanks, I'll never ever set you up again. Pinky swear!" he said, holding out his pinky with a grin on his face.

I drew in a long breath, and he knew I was giving in. His grin got bigger, before I looked straight at him.

"Last one ever," I said firmly.

"Last one, unless it goes well," he clarified.

He shoved his pinky towards me, and I rolled my eyes at his childish antics.

"So, when do I have to meet this girl?" I asked, reluctantly wrapping my pinky around his.

"Don't be so negative, bro! This one's a keeper!"

---

**BellaPOV**

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

_The default ring boomed from my cell, bringing me out of my thoughts._

_I glanced at the caller ID._

"_Hola, senorita." I said, glad to have the distraction. I was having major writer's block. It wasn't a good thing when you are a work-at-home journalist. I only took the job so I could stay home with the kids, but lately I've been wanting to get out of the house. Even a gray-colored office with people dressed in pencil skirts, buns, and reading glasses sounds more appealing than being stuck in this mahogany, dust-filled, library-slash-office._

"_Ciao, Bella," Rosalie responded, giggling. It was one of our insiders, since high school. I took Spanish, she took Italian. We would have conversations over the phone in our respective languages, knowing very well that the other was clueless to our part in the conversation. I had learned that she cussed me out quite a few times, and I had accused her of stealing my lollipop more times than I could count._

_Of course, as soon as she found out that Bella meant beautiful, she took to starting many, if not most conversations, with that little saying._

"_So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" I asked, spinning around in my office chair._

"_Well, I was thinking, and me and Emmett decided that you had a lot in common with his brother. I wanted to see if you might want to go on a blind date with him?" she asked, in a tone that I knew meant she wasn't going to take no for an answer._

"_Rose. You know dating isn't my thing," I replied, biting my lip. Rose had been pretty nice to me over the years since the divorce. But, recently we had a girl's night, and she had an intervention, telling me that I needed to move on, and that Jacob is an asshole. He lost custody five years ago, and will never come around again, considering that he can't even keep his hands to himself around the kids. Him, and his new girlfriend Leah, moved across the country, and I haven't heard from them since._

"_Bella, you don't know that. You just make yourself think that. But it's not true, you are gorgeous, and all you have to do is flirt a little, and guys will be drooling over you." she gushed._

"_Whatever. We both know that's not true. And I'm perfectly fine being single." I replied. I was doing completely fine by myself. Of course, it helped that I inherited a large sum of money from my grandmother. I was an only child, and so was Charlie, so we are both pretty lucky._

_The only reason I have this journalism job is for insurance and to bring some income into the house. Eventually, grandma's money would run out. Probably after I die, but I don't want my kids thinking you can just rely on inheritance._

"_Whatever. So how's it going?"_

"_Emma started middle school today. It's so weird seeing my little girl grow up," I said with a sigh._

_Emma was my middle child. She was beautiful. She has perfectly tanned skin, my brown eyes, and long mahogany hair, straight like her father's._

_Connor is my oldest, starting sophomore year today. Connor has most of my features, but not so much it makes him look girly. He has dark brown hair, closer to his father's color, but he dies it lighter, because he despises the color for some reason. I can't blame him. I don't like it much either. Connor is also really tall, just like his father._

_Jace is the youngest, at 8 years old. He started 3rd grade a few weeks ago. He has the heart-breaking smile, just like his father. Although, at this age, it's more cute than anything. He has tanned skin, and light freckles just like his father. He has my plain brown hair, but besides that, and a few facial features, he was the spitting image of his dad._

"_It must be crazy, having sweet little Emma growing into a reckless teenager. Good luck, Bella." she said, laughing lightly._

"_I don't want her to grow up, Rose. I honestly can't even see her turning into a reckless teenager. She looks too innocent," I said with a sad sigh. Life was blowing by too quickly._

"_Well, I'm picking up my nieces this afternoon. Do you want me to get Connor and Em?" she offered._

"_Nah. I need to get out of the house. Speaking of, I should be heading out. Talk to you later? My phone is in the charger." I said, grabbing my keys._

"_Sure thing. Arrivederci, lovely,"_

"_Adios, amigo."_

_---_

_A/N: Well, there you go, the first chapter. What do you guys think so far? Reviews, and constructive criticism are welcome! I'm planning for Edward and Bella to meet in the next chapter, and of course the drama will begin soon :]_


	2. I Take My Coffee Black

A/N: Sorry, I forgot the disclaimer last chapter. I don't really feel it's necessary, though. I mean, I obviously don't own Twilight. If I did, then I would be off on some private island with the real Edward Cullen. Not writing fanfiction while staring at the dreamy pictures on my wall.

---

**BellaPOV**

I really need to get out of here.

Being stuck in this house is driving me crazy. It's too quiet, it's too plain, and I need a new place to do my writing.

I checked my laptop, and smiled to myself when I saw that the battery level was full. For once, I'm glad I left it plugged in all night. I packed it up, and quickly got dressed. Throwing on a t-shirt, and some fitting skinny jeans that Rose had bought me a few weeks back. They weren't horribly uncomfortable, quite the opposite actually. I've made an agreement with her that when I go out in public, I will wear at least a nice shirt, or some nice jeans, and mascara. She promises not to criticize me as long as I follow these conditions, and accept nice clothes from her every once in a while.

I grabbed a five and stuffed it in my pocket, along with my cell. I grabbed my laptop and headed out the front door.

The fresh air definitely felt nice. The sun was out, and it made the street look lively. It sparkled across the neighbor's lawn, the sprinklers causing a rainbow effect, which my kids absolutely adored. It was one of those movie moments. The girl was walking down the sunny sidewalk. She's thinking about true love, or more modernly, talking on her cell phone and not watching where she's going. All of a sudden, she bumps into the most gorgeous man she's ever seen.

It's too bad that doesn't happen in real life. I'm obviously not that girl. I don't walk down sidewalks absentmindedly. I have a purpose. I _always_ have a purpose. I don't fantasize about true love. It's not something worth pining for. It never works out as perfect as it does in movies. And, I definitely don't believe in love at first sight. You can't just look up to see the most gorgeous person you've ever seen, and claim them as your soulmate. My 'soulmate', if there is a such thing, probably isn't all that great looking.

I smiled as I reached my destination. Starbucks.

There are always a lot of people working on their laptops when you come here. So, I figured, why don't I give it a shot? I mean, being surrounded by a bunch of people with your same goal, nice wallpaper, and the intoxicating smell of fresh coffee.

I might consider making this my permanent 'office'.

I walked up to the counter. An overly-excited teenager greeted me energetically. They should really not let them drink so much coffee on the job.

"Just a tall cup of black coffee, please," I requested, knowing my order was out of place at a fancy shop like Starbucks. He rang me up and handed me a nice warm cup. I just smiled before sitting at the last free table. It was more busy than I had expected.

I opened my laptop, and sighed before going back to work on my latest article.

---

**EdwardPOV**

"Jessica, I'm going out for lunch today," I told the nurse at the front desk. Jessica was one of the many members of the Edward Cullen fanclub. Ever since I started working here, nurses have been throwing themselves at me left and right. I've gotten good at ignoring it, but it makes it rather hard to make friends in this place.

Angela Weber, she was the one woman who didn't throw herself at my feet. It might have something to do with the fact that she's married, but that sure didn't stop the rest of the women around here. She was one of the few people that I knew I could trust. She helped me with a woman's point of view of things.

Her husband, Ben, was pretty nice as well. He works at the hospital here, but he was in a separate wing, and we hardly ever crossed paths. He also trusts me around his wife, which really surprised me at first, considering my reputation around here. Ben and Angela have invited me to lunch with them quite a few times, and I can honestly say they're good friends.

Unfortunately, today I wasn't going to lunch with them. Or anybody for that matter. I just need to get away from this hospital. The white walls, white beds, white desks, and white computers are easy to get sick of.

After clocking out, I walked outside, and instantly smiled when I saw all the color around me. The sun was shining perfectly, the sidewalk was busy with people, the traffic was flowing nicely for once, and the Starbucks across the street was calling for me.

I entered the crowded, over-priced, coffee franchise, and took a look at my surroundings. There were a majority of people working on laptops, and a handful socializing. The line was starting to die down, so I quickly walked to the end of it, hoping to get my coffee and go.

That's when I saw her.

She was sitting on one of the beige couches. Her chin was resting on her hand, and she looked like she was studying something on her laptop. Her legs were uncrossed, the right one tapping impatiently. She took her delicate looking hand away from her chin, and ran it through her hair before she started typing. I noticed that she had a frustrated look in her eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she hit a key repeatedly in annoyance.

The fluorescent lights made her deep brown hair glow. It looked oddly natural, which is something you don't see very much here in California. It had soft waves, which also looked natural, not fried and covered with two pounds of hairspray. She was wearing a semi-fitting t-shirt, and it made me realize, that she must be pretty confident, to go out in such a casual outfit, when the rest of the world is pressuring you to wear short skirts and shirts that didn't cover enough to even be called a shirt.

Maybe the world isn't turning into a huge, brainless conformity.

"Sir? Can I help you?"

I turned to face the teenager at the counter. I hadn't even realized that the line had moved.

"Um. Just a cup of black coffee," I said, my hand autonomously running through my messy locks.

I robotically paid, grabbing the warm cup.

It was then that I realized, the only seat left was the one next to her on the couch. I wasn't planning on staying here, but I don't really want to face the lunch crowd today do I?

Well, that's a big fat lie. I don't particularly care about the lunch crowd. It won't make me late for work, considering it takes about a whole 10 seconds to walk there. It's only Tuesday, too. Nothing exciting happens on Tuesdays. Fridays are the worst, with half the state on furlough. I rolled my eyes, and silently cursed our government. They're making these hard times even worse.

I took in a deep breath, and walked over to her.

Why is this so hard? It's just a seat. I don't even have to talk to her.

But I want to. She seems genuinely interesting. Although, I thought the same thing of Victoria, one of the nurses at my work, before she decided to try and seduce me, like everyone else around here.

I need to seriously grow some balls. Standing here, thinking about doing something isn't going to work.

"Can I sit here?" I asked, getting it out before I changed my mind and left.

She nodded, not even looking up.

Great. I finally get the courage to do something, and it doesn't even register to her.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. I'm Edward freaking Cullen. I'm never nervous, especially around women. So, why now? I can get any woman I want. All I have to do is smile. So, what the hell is going on?

I noticed her laptop case, on the ground by her feet. A Jonas Brother's sticker was smack dab in the middle of the side facing me.

"Jonas Brothers?" I questioned, hoping to get a response.

She stopped typing, and ran her fingers through her hair again. She turned to face me, her cheeks tinted slightly pink.

She was more beautiful than I imagined. Her large, brown eyes, were deeper than I thought possible. Her bone structure was perfect, and her pink lips looked absolutely delicious. Her mouth opened briefly, before she bit her lip.

I brought my attention back to her eyes.

"Um. My daughter loves them," she said, nervously.

"Oh. My daughters do too." I replied, smiling, and trying to remove the awkward atmosphere, "How old is your daughter?"

She studied my face quickly.

"First, promise me you're not a psycho stalker, child molester, or serial killer," she said, in a serious tone.

I chuckled shortly, "I promise."

She raised one eyebrow.

"Pinky swear?" she asked, sticking her pinky out, reminding me of Emmett.

"Pinky swear." I confirmed, sticking my own pinky out to meet hers.

Her mouth quickly changed into a big grin, showing off her perfect teeth.

I couldn't help but smile too.

"I'm Bella, by the way,"

Bella. That's a beautiful name.

---

**BellaPOV**

"Edward," the dazzling man responded, the corners of his mouth lifting up into another smile.

I find it hard to believe that the most gorgeous man in the world has such a great personality. He doesn't seem the type that just wants to get in your pants, which is understandably expected from a man of his beauty.

But, he is a father.

Which means he's probably married.

Oh, god. He's probably married to some five-foot-ten supermodel, with a perfectly bronzed body, with perfect curves in the perfect place. With natural, shiny perfect hair, and sparkling eyes that almost rivaled his own.

Snap out of it, Bella.

He's talking to you, wife or not. He seems like a great guy, so don't fucking ruin it.

"Oh, um, my daughter. She's 12" I said lamely, bringing us back to our previous conversation, "She started middle school yesterday. It's so sad, they're growing up too fast."

"I know how you feel. My twins started high school yesterday. They're excited, but when I think back to my high school adventures. Oh, god." he said with a nervous laugh.

"Mhm. My oldest is in high school. He's a sophomore. It seems like he was just a little kid, when we brought Emmy home from the hospital," I said, sighing.

"Emmy?" he asked, seeming honestly interested.

"Yeah. She's my daughter, the one I mentioned earlier. Emma is her full name. But, she prefers Emmy. Um, Connor, he's the oldest. And, Jace is the youngest. He's only eight." I explained.

"I just have my twins. Jessa and Lexa. They're both 14," he replied.

"Ah. Not so easy when they get to that age, huh? Must be hard for you as a father, with two teenage girls," I said, recalling from my own experience. It's not easy to get through to kids of the opposite sex when they reach adolescence.

"You're right about that. My sister helps out when she can, but she travels a lot. It's not easy being a single father with only daughters."

"You're a single father?" I blurted out.

I hardly believe that he is single. I mean, he's breathtaking. And he's a good, honest man.

He nodded, with a quizzical look on his face.

"It's just..." I stammered, "You seem like the perfect husband. Why in the world are you single?"

Oh, great, Bella. Just pry into his personal life. He's gonna think you're annoying and rude. Way to go, ruining any chance you have to get to know this man.

"Well, women tend to throw themselves at my feet. None of which know anything about me, except for the fact that I'm apparently 'the hottest guy they've ever seen' and they heard a rumor that I was great in bed, which I will neither confirm or deny," he responded, not seeming angry by my question I was sure would drive him away.

He smirked after finishing the last line, and I laughed quietly. His reason was legit, I mean, I could understand why women would throw themselves all over him. Of course, I would never do that. Not because I don't think he is the most dazzling man in the universe, but because he is obviously way out of my league, and I would just make a fool out of myself.

"Well, my story isn't that interesting. I'm just a plain, average girl, and people don't tend to look twice at me. After I divorced with my husband, I haven't really dated. I have kids to take care of," I stated simply.

His mouth turned into a frown, and his green eyes pierced mine.

"Bella. You're not plain or average. You're stunning. Don't let me hear you say you're boring, or not worth looking twice at. Seriously, Bella, you don't see yourself clearly." he said. It was so sincere, I wanted to believe it.

"I think you need to get glasses," I joked.

His hand flew through his hair, messing it up even more.

"Bella, you're beautiful. I mean it. Stop this bullshit right now, alright?" he said, sharply. His eyes looked honest. I couldn't help but believe him.

I nodded, biting my lip.

He put his hand over my own, and I immediately felt a shock. His hands were incredibly soft, and caused a better reaction than I got when kissing Jake. Whatever it was, he must have felt it too. He looked to my eyes, almost in panic. He quickly pulled his hand away, and ran it through his tangled mane again.

"I have to go back to work," he whispered, before getting up and leaving the over-priced coffee chain.

I suddenly felt cold without his presence. I grabbed my stuff and walked home quickly.

_What in the world just happened?_

All I knew was that I was coming back to Starbucks tomorrow.

---

A/N: Well, this chapter was quite fun to write. It was fun getting into their minds. The chapter didn't end up exactly how I was planning it, but, what can I say? The characters have ideas of their own that manage to end up in my story.


	3. Alice's Favorite Cookies

Twilight is not mine,

No matter how much I whine,

Or ask pretty pretty please,

Or offer S. Meyer cheese.

Hahaha. Lame poem alert!

---

**EdwardPOV**

_Crap. I need to be at the school soon._

I rushed to finish the paperwork for a particular patient, before handing it off to the nurse to take care of.

I glanced at my cell phone one more time before realizing I would never make it with the 3:00 traffic. In this town, the 3:00 traffic was just as bad as the 5:00 traffic. I'm not sure why, most people are in work at this time.

I scoffed, before dialing Alice's number. She lives right by the school, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind picking them up.

_Again._

"Hi," her overly chipper voice greeted.

"Um, hey, Alice. I was wondering if you could-"

"Sure, I'll pick the girls up. You know I love them!" she squealed.

"Thanks, but bring them home, okay? They probably have homework or something," I said, knowing that Alice would probably take them out somewhere, which I'm sure they would all love, but Alice tends to forget they're only fourteen, and have school, a curfew, and are underage.

"Fine, whatever. Stay at work as long as you want, party pooper," she huffed before hanging up.

I laughed quickly at her Alice-ness before walking back into my office. She liked to think that I was overly strict with my girls, and I should treat them more like adults.

She didn't understand that they were only fourteen, and _were not _adults.

---

After my shift ended a few hours later, I headed home in a good mood. I had just successfully saved a patient's life, which always made me feel better when the job was done. It's the reason I ever got this stress-filled job. I had followed in my father's footsteps, who began work as a doctor when his parents were killed in a car accident, and there was some controversy about whether the doctors had done the most they could to revive his mother. His father was killed on impact, but his mother was rushed to the hospital.

I always think about how lucky I am to have my parents, and how I can help other families from losing their loved ones.

I arrived home, to hear Alice and my girls laughing loudly in the kitchen.

"That one looks deformed!" Lexa yelled through her laughter.

I walked into the kitchen to see the three covered in flour and dough. My gaze shifted to the cooling rack on the counter. I ran my hand through my hair, and closed my eyes in disgust.

"What are those?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

---

**AlicePOV**

"Penis cookies, obviously," I answered through my giggles.

"Why?" he asked, looking everywhere but the cookies on the counter. It was pretty rare to see Edward uncomfortable, considering he spent the whole day around oozing blood and guts.

"Because they're fun! We did some girl-bonding. Don't be a pansy, Edward!" I replied, putting my hands on my hips.

He just shook his head before retreating to his bedroom, earning another round of giggles from the girls and myself.

"Do you think they're cooled?" Lex asked, poking one lightly.

Jes hopped over, picking one up off of the cooling rack, and sticking it in her mouth. She looked up at me reluctantly, and quickly bit a piece off.

"Mm. They're good!" she said, and Lex grabbed one of her own, smiling when she picked up the biggest one.

I laughed at her choice, and she smiled at me sheepishly before biting into it.

"We have to do this again sometime! Or can you bring us to the mall?" Jessa asked, her eyes brimming with excitement.

"Of course!" I shrieked. You don't know how long I've been waiting for an enthusiastic shopping buddy. I mean, Rose comes with me sometimes, but we both have work, and with my constant business trips, we barely get together, and when we do, it's always dinner with our husbands for a few hours before we go back to our conflicting schedules.

---

"Alice," a stern voice called from behind me. I turned around to see a frustrated looking Edward looking at me with his scolding father look.

"Yes, Edward?"

"Alice, baking those cookies wasn't appropriate. Jes and Lexy are only fourteen! What in the world was going through your mind? They're too young to even know what a penis looks like!" he scolded.

"Edward, they're teenagers! I'm sure they know what a penis looks like! It was their idea, and they were just having fun! You're going to ruin your relationship with them if you can't be more open minded!"

"I'm plenty open-minded, Alice! But, I also know what's right for my girls, and this isn't it!"

"Stop being so ignorant! Don't you remember being a teenager? I know I did stuff like this all the time! And so did you! You have to realize that the girls are growing up!"

He ran his hands through his hair, his signature move if you hadn't realized, and turned around before walking back upstairs, leaving me by myself in the recently cleaned kitchen. I knew that continuing to fight wouldn't help, and he just needed time to adjust and take my advice.

---

EdwardPOV

Alice has absolutely no idea what she's talking about. My daughters are 14. They are innocent and pure.

Well, at least they were before Alice corrupted their minds.

They don't need to be around this stuff. They're not even old enough to date, and they should not know what a penis looks like, contrary to Alice's belief. They're barely through puberty, and are just children.

It's time like these when I wish they had a mother.

Not someone like Alice or Rose, they were good aunts, but they honestly hadn't reached adulthood yet. They were still reveling in their 'I'm young, so I'm going to party and shop til I drop, and do whatever the hell I want' stage, even in their early thirties. They weren't forced to grow up and become a mature, working parent just after they began college. They weren't thrusted unexpectedly into adulthood.

And I was envious of that.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my girls. They're my life.

But, I wish they had come later on. When I was settled, married, and prepared. When I was head over heels in love with their mother, and she was completely devoted to me, and our children.

But that kind of thing doesn't happen in real life. It's just something you read in stories and see in movies.

Tanya was the closest I'd ever come to love, and that was a long shot.

It was more the fact that she was happily pregnant with my daughters. After I found out her real motives, I realized she obviously wasn't the one for me. I think I knew that already, though. I just didn't want to give up the loving mother of my children.

That thought made me scoff internally. She turned out to be everything but caring, and I'm more than happy that she's not around the girls.

They had asked about her on numerous occasions, and I had simply told them that we didn't work out together, and she decided it would be best if she left.

Of course, I always feel guilty for not telling them the truth. But, how are you supposed to tell your young daughters that their mother didn't want them, and despised even having to be in the same room as them? She essentially hated them, and children in general, but went through with her so called 'worst nightmare' just to get me to marry her.

On the contrary, the girls were the best thing that ever happened to me. They were the only reason I didn't wish Tanya never existed.

Maybe them coming so early is some kind of sign, telling me that they were meant to be my one and only loves.

I have accepted that fact, and I think Emmett should too. I'm glad he's finally coming around. I only have to endure one more disastrous blind date. Most of which end up with me getting 'food poisoning', 'forgetting to pick up my girls from a friends house', or, my favorite, 'my mom was in a car crash, and I need to get to a small, never heard of, town in Washington as fast as possible'.

My mom has been in so many car crashes, it's a wonder that she's still alive and breathing.

I glanced up at the clock.

_12:57_

_I should really get to bed, I have another predictable day ahead._

_I lightly walked up the stairs, taking a quick peek in both girls rooms. Each were fast asleep, their hair fanned all over their pillows. Their faces were makeup free, and soft looking, reminding me of when they were younger._

_They looked so vulnerable and innocent. They're my little girls, and I don't want them to grow up._

_The voice in my head was telling me 'Too bad, life sucks, you should know that,'_

_But, my thoughts were ignorant. They completely ignored that fact, and everything else that was clouding my mind._

_Avoiding the issues seemed to work fine for me._

_The girls never asked if their mom left because she hated them with every ounce of her being, so I never have had to address the issue. Tanya never came into town, so I never had to face her, and yell at her for being a horrible person and leaving her daughters without a mother. In fact, nobody ever brought her up around me, so I didn't even have to address the subject._

_So, why am I going on about her?_

_I don't know. I don't deserve to have someone like her consuming my thoughts._

_I don't know anything anymore._

_---_

_A/N: To answer Cullen's review, no, I don't have a specific update schedule. I'm hoping to update at least once or twice a week. But, school is starting soon, and once it does, I won't be able to update as much, unfortunately._

_Also, I just have to share something. I heard this stupid thing that Robert Pattinson went to a restaurant with a bunch of people, and the check was over $350, and people are criticizing him for paying $2 less tip than he's supposed to. I mean, seriously? It's two bucks._

_Well, the real significance of this story is that my aunt was actually there. She said she didn't even know who he was at first, until people started making a commotion._

_But, I'm very angry that she didn't get me an autograph! D:_


End file.
